Kimber Kable TAK Cu Tonearm Cable

Kimber TAK Cu — The Copper Version, With a Choice of Connector

Kimber Kable's copper-conductor tonearm cable, available in more than one length and with a choice of connector: Ultra-plate RCA, or WBT-0102 Cu. Cu is copper, and it is the difference between this cable and the silver version.

The connector choice is the more practical of the two decisions. WBT's 0102 is a compression-fit design that clamps down rather than gripping by friction, which matters on a socket that gets connected once and then left alone for years at a time.

Design and Materials

Braid Geometry Instead of Bulk

OCQ/2 stands for Orthogonal GyroQuadratic, two channel, and it describes the weave. Crossing the conductors at right angles means noise induced into the run reaches both halves of a channel at once, and cancels itself out.

Kimber's claim is that this virtually eliminates electromagnetic and radio interference along with crosstalk. Geometry rather than mass is doing the work, which is why the cable stays flexible instead of turning into the armoured hose that heavy shielding produces.

Two Connectors, One Cable

Ultra-plate is Kimber's own RCA, plated and machined to their specification. WBT-0102 Cu is a bought-in connector with a copper signal pin and a clamping collar, and it is the choice for a socket you want gripped firmly rather than merely contacted.

Behind whichever connector you pick, Kimber adds a proprietary shielding material aimed squarely at low-frequency hum. That is the noise a phono stage makes unbearable rather than merely audible, since it sits at the bottom of the range where music has its foundations.

Choosing Length and Termination

Two decisions here rather than one: the length, and whether you want Ultra-plate RCA or WBT-0102 Cu connectors. Both are fixed at manufacture, so the connector question is worth answering before you order rather than after.

For length, measure the route around the back of the rack and round upward. For connectors, look at how firmly your existing plugs sit in their sockets — a loose socket is the case the WBT clamping design was made for.

Who Is It Best For?

• You want copper rather than silver — the same cable is built as the TAK Ag with silver conductors
• You have a choice to make on connectors — Ultra-plate RCA or WBT-0102 Cu, chosen at purchase
• Your sockets are loose — the WBT clamping design grips where a conventional RCA only contacts
• Your rack is full of mains cable — the OCQ/2 braid is built for that environment
• You want silver conductors — that is the TAK Ag, alongside this one in tonearm cables

How Does It Connect?

Power down first. Arm end, then phono stage, then the ground wire onto the ground post. If you chose the WBT connectors, tighten the collars by hand until they seat — they clamp rather than push on, and that is the point of them.

Pairs Well With

What most owners fit alongside a Kimber phono cable.

• Phono cartridges — the source of the signal this cable carries
• Phono preamplifiers — where the cable ends up
• Tonearms — the other end of the connection
• Cartridge alignment tools — worth a check whenever the arm is disturbed

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cu mean?

It is the chemical symbol for copper, denoting the conductor. The Ag version of the same cable uses silver.

Which connector should I choose?

Ultra-plate is Kimber's own RCA. WBT-0102 Cu clamps onto the socket rather than gripping by friction, which suits a socket that has loosened with age.

Which length should I choose?

Measure the actual path around the back of the rack and round up rather than down — a cable under tension works against the turntable.

What is OCQ/2?

Kimber's braid geometry: Orthogonal GyroQuadratic, two channel. The conductors cross at right angles so induced noise cancels rather than accumulating.

Do I need to connect a ground wire?

Yes, to the phono stage's ground post. Do that before judging any hum, because a floating ground produces more of it than any cable will fix.

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